RYAN & KUEHLER PLLC

Mark Ryan

Environmental Law and Complex Litigation

Two Dems Introduce a Bill to Block the 2020 WOTUS Rule

On May 8, 2020, Rep. Peter Defazio (D. - Or.) and Grace Napalitano (D. - CA), introduced House Bill 6745 to block the implementation of the new Trump WOTUS rule. Here's a link to the bill's information: https://legiscan.com/US/bill/HB6745/2019.

In 2019, at least two bills were introduced by Republicans (HR 667 and 2287) to block the 2015 rule and to enshrine the Trump rule into the CWA. Neither got off the ground. I expect the same fate for this latest effort. Until there is bipartisan support for a fair and rationale rewrite of the CWA's definition of navigable waters, we're going to remain in this endless loop of rule promulgation, withdrawal and litigation.